Mrs. Elephant, Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 27, Financial Operations AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, IT Student/Store ManagerEngagement Date: March 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: The Tribute Golf ClubAbout Me: I'm a Philly native creating roots deep in the heart of Texas. I might be a little obsessed capturing those Kodak moments of anything and everything (mainly on vacations). I've become more of a gamer thanks to Mr. Elephant, who I met online and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with. We are planning a wedding based on our favorite colors, blue and green, with a travel theme for 150 of our closest friends and family. Hopefully our long (2-year) engagement won't kill me!
It was all hands on deck when it came to getting me into that big white dress!
One thing that I asked for prior to the wedding was to keep the group inside the bridal suite to a minimum. I really wanted to relax and enjoy the getting ready process without 20 million people in and out of the room. I truly cherished this time with my four best friends and my mom. Read more…
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
As I may have mentioned in the past, I love paper products. Fonts, paper weight, colors, design—I love it all. It’s probably a good thing that I ended up in publishing, where I get to immerse myself in beautiful lovely books every day. End papers! Cover designs! Love.
So, I knew that the invitations would be a high point for our wedding. They set the tone, the colors, the feel of the day, with their scrumptious typefaces and delicious paper textures. I couldn’t wait to jump in and get my hands dirty! Read more…
Mrs. Cinnamon Bun, Calgary, AlbertaAge and Occupation: 26, Stage ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Theatre TechnicianEngagement Date: June 22, 2010Wedding Date: June 2011Venue: Calgary Opera CentreAbout Me: I'm a life-long crafter and bookworm living in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Some of my loves include Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes, knitting, opera, musicals, Etsy, baking, and of course, Mr. Cinnamon Buns. We're keeping our wedding close to home---the venue isn't very far from our house, and we live within walking distance of 6 bridal salons. I'm using the wedding as an excuse to try out every craft project I possibly can, with the endless help and support of my fiance.
Lots of people (including my own mother) thought I was insane for wanting to make all the pies for our wedding. I am so glad I stuck to my guns. Because, hive? The pie tasted awesome. People kept coming up to me and saying it was delicious (although, I suppose, who would tell the bride on her wedding day that she made sub-par pie? Hmmm…) and wedding pie was such a great idea. I have to admit that it was nice to receive all those compliments, and it felt like a little bit of vindication after all the doubters. I thought it was delicious, and I even managed to have two slices!
(this is the first guest photo of the pie table to surface!)
This is the part where I give you the recipes I used!
Miss Doily, Cedar Rapids, IowaAge and Occupation: 25, Autism Paraeducator/ StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Freelance Writer/ PublisherEngagement Date: August 27th, 2010Wedding Date: March 2012Venue: Father’s Vineyard Church/ A Touch of Class Banquet CenterAbout Me: I’m an Iowan girl with a deep love of Harry Potter, classic movies, cardigans, and Post-Its. My type-A Virgo tendencies often cause me to drive my laid-back college sweetheart fiance batty with lists and PowerPoint presentations. I love to be crafty and do things myself, which explains why my two crazy kittens often will prance around the house covered in glitter and ribbons. When I am not bogged down with work, school, or wedding planning, I like to travel to visit my expansive family and have wild adventures with my best friends. After a rollercoaster ride of a love story, I’m ready to take that final plunge, marry the love of my life, and become a Mrs.!
Well, I guess I wouldn’t go as far as to call it bliss. Mr. D and I have had a lot of ups and downs. Back in college we spent a lot of time together. Mr. D was a junior and was two years older than me. We often spent time talking about football and watching games. Mr. D said jokingly that he even knew the exact moment he knew he loved me. It was when we were watching a Packers game and I got upset at a bad call from a referee. He said he was impressed that I even caught that it was bad call without someone who was really into football saying something. Of course, he quickly followed that up and said he loved more about me than just my deep love of football. He said he loved the way I snort when I laugh, the way that I dryly say certain things, and that I am super sarcastic. And after planning for a college experience without relationships, I was in love and suddenly in a pretty deep relationship with someone I definitely did not think was the kind of person I would fall for.
Mr. D and me having a deep conversation in his room with some friends in 2005
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
Ready to get up close and personal with the Brooch wedding? I’m dying to share our professional pictures with you and relive our amazing wedding day! It’s finally time! Here’s a sneak peek—the same one I saw during our honeymoon in Costa Rica—of our favors and first look:
Mrs. Sparkler, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 27, Communications AficionadoFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PublisherEngagement Date: July 21, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Chicago Illuminating CompanyAbout Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
When I last left you, I was eagerly awaiting my shower guests… and I didn’t have to wait long! I grabbed a mimosa, pulled up a chair, and suddenly everyone began to arrive! It was so nice outside that we decided to sit in the backyard and enjoy the sun.
Once everyone showed up and I said my hellos, we jumped into some fun shower games. First up: bridal shower Mad Libs! (Sparks and I have a serious love of Mad Libs.) Read more…
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
For all my indoor accessorizing, I have been rather stuck on how to adorn the outdoor portion of our venue. We’ll be having the ceremony on the back lawn, and there’s a pretty large wooden deck with stairs leading down to that lawn. You go up the stairs, and you’re on an open deck, then a covered deck. That’s where our guests will have their cocktail hour before moving inside to sit and eat, then back outside to dance the night away on the covered deck.
See the deck rails in the back? That’s the area of decoration in question. Sorry it’s tiny. / Image via Palma Sola Botanical Park
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Mrs. Tartlet, Rochester, MIAge and Occupation: Age & Occupation: 27, Post-Doctoral Research FellowFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Medical StudentEngagement Date: May 2, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: The Royal Park HotelAbout Me: I'm an exuberant gal from the Midwest with a penchant for Neuroscience and anything sparkly. I'm not afraid to poke fun at myself, and I'm a believer that given the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world. While an interest in the sciences threw Mr. Tartlet and me together (again, and again, until it finally stuck), we share a love for many things---food, video games, car dancing, food, bad puns, travel, did I mention food?---that ultimately led us to where we are now, less than five months from becoming Mr. and Mrs. We're planning a laid-back, romantic, garden-inspired affair with organic and quirky touches that reflect our love for the unexpected!
After my sister and I had finished ogling our statuesque mother, I slipped into the adjacent room to take down my dress that had been carefully hung on a padded dupioni silk hanger, purchased from Etsy seller tokyoblues.
As I draped the delicate alencon lace dress and veil over my arms and turned to walk out into the sitting area of our suite, a thought struck that made me stop dead in my tracks: “…am I going to have to show my…boobs…to everyone?” Stunned, I couldn’t believe that the thought had never crossed my mind that in order to get dressed (and have pictures taken), I would first have to get un-dressed. Read more…
Mrs. Cucumber Sandwich, Washington, DC/Cape May, NJAge and Occupation: 28, School CounselorFiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Collegiate AthleticsEngagement Date: March 27, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Congress Hall HotelAbout Me: I am a school counselor who spends my day wrangling children and my nights attempting to be creative with wedding projects. My enthusiasm for each of these activities far surpasses my skill. Thank goodness Mr. Cucumber Sandwich is there to pick up the pieces and be the voice of reason about my DIY tries. I have an obsession with terrible romantic comedies (‘From Justin to Kelly’ anyone?, anyone?!?), competitive Scrabble play, and hot dogs. I could eat astronaut ice cream for every meal and can’t seem to resist buying more shoes. Our wedding is going to be a true hodge podge of semi-destination, tradition, Yuengling, New England charm, with just a dash of ‘Jersey Shore’ thrown in. It has been six years in the making and I can’t wait to marry my best friend.
I can’t wait to share with you my quest for the dress, but first I have a little disclaimer.
I make Mr. CS read every blog post. Sometimes I even quiz him on it just to make sure he memorized every word. Unfortunately, that means I will not be showing my dress. Not even the designer/style number. See, Mr. CS likes to say that I am nosy, but really I learned it from him.
Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s get on with the show! Prior to getting engaged I really didn’t look at dresses. I should have been arrested for all the stalking I did of my venue, but I didn’t think about the dress too much.
After the plethora of bridal magazines that came in my name after the big engagement, I started thinking about dresses. From the beginning I knew I didn’t want a giant “princess” gown. It’s just not that kind of wedding. If we were getting married at a church or in the winter I would have had a different opinion. But we are getting married by the beach in the grass, so something light and flowy was high on my list.
Like a lot of brides, I started pulling inspiration for my first wedding-dress-shopping appointment. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane of all the dresses that I didn’t pick.
Mrs. Cannon, Toledo, OHAge and Occupation: 27, Financial AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, AssemblerEngagement Date: February 28, 2011Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Epworth UMC & Ward PavilionAbout Me: I'm the curious combination of being a go-with-the-flow, laid back, obsessive planner. I try desperately to stay as busy as possible at all times (and am succeeding big time right now!) My biggest loves in life are Law & Order: SVU, Community (the show, not the concept, although I like that, too), ice cream, white cheddar popcorn, beer, hiking, knitting, decorating, writing, being outside, spending time with friends and family and musical theater. Mr. Cannon is pretty sweet, too. We've had a lot of fun traveling and having adventures all over the country, but have finally moved back near our hometown to settle down. We're planning a low-key, colorful, fun wedding and an awesome-to-the-max reception.
My grandma and I were discussing dress making and she said she’d like to have THE dress done by the end of July, and I agreed that would probably be a good idea as it would leave me time to get accessories and complete my look by the September wedding. Last week I ordered my petticoat and yet another strapless bra (I’m having a tough time finding THE bra) so I’m gathering all the things I’ll need to get my dress properly fitted. Grandma asked that I pick up the material for my dress so I can bring it down to her house to get things rolling. I wrote down the amounts of what I needed to get, recruited my mom and Bombshell to help me in my fabric search, and hit the road.
My sister, mother, and grandmother have all told me about the wonders of Haberman Fabrics many times, but I had yet to step into the store myself. Bombshell regaled us with stories about her job as mom drove us up to Royal Oak, and I bored everyone with stories about Cherry Bomb. As we arrived at the store, my mom asked what I was looking for. I quite honestly answered, “I have no idea.” Read more…
Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, EngineerEngagement Date: April 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club receptionAbout Me: I’m one of the lucky ones---I met my future husband at the ripe old age of 13, started dating him as a mature woman of 15, and have been enjoying the ride ever since. Here we are, 8 years later, living in Pittsburgh, planning a "homestination" wedding in the place our school romance began---Johnstown, PA. I thrive on talking a mile a minute, eating my weight in chocolate, and internet shopping. I love a lengthy to-do list almost as much as I love a healthy amount of chaos in my life. Mr. Snow Cone and I watch countless episodes of Friends and The West Wing on repeat, root for rival college sports teams, and make each other laugh each and every day. We’re putting together a small-town wedding with a big personality and a classically modern (or modernly classic?) look for 250 of our closest family and friends. It’s been 8+ years in the making, and sometimes I still can’t believe I’m finally getting to marry my high school sweetheart!
This past weekend was a complete and total blur, but for all the right reasons. You see, I decided to take advantage of the long holiday weekend by having both my bridal shower and my bachelorette party in one extravaganza of a weekend. I’ll share a bit about both, so here’s the info on the shower!
A few weeks back, I was greeted by this lovely piece of mail:
Personal photo
I completely loved the entire look of the shower invitation, but there was one part that particularly warmed my heart… Read more…
Mrs. Hippo, New York City/Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 34, Event Planner for a Non-Profit Fiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Finance ITEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Samuel Lynne Galleries and Marc EventsAbout Me: I’m a thirty-something bride living in New York City and planning a modern-ish wedding in Dallas, Texas. I love trashy reality television (Jersey Shore, anyone?), online shopping, Sunday brunch, Central Park, and random celebrity spottings on the streets of Manhattan. While I love NYC, I miss good Tex-Mex, my college friends, central A/C, and being in close proximity to a Target. I’m thrilled to finally be planning an event that’s not work-related and to be marrying my best friend in what I hope will be a unique and personal ceremony followed by a reception with plenty of good food, good drinks, and dancing (regardless if it’s good or not).
Just a warning…there are a lot of photos of me in this post. If you don’t want to look at my mug, move along. My feelings won’t be hurt. OK…maybe a little.
As soon as I was dressed, our photographers got started with bridal portraits. Now, I’m not one who has ever been camera shy, but with two photographers, a videographer, plus the bridal party looking on, it felt a little weird. I did my best to channel my inner Tyra and pretend like it was just me and the camera. Who says you can’t learn anything from reality television?! We first took photos in the hotel suite.
Mrs. Funnel Cake, Zürich, Switzerland/Columbus, OhioAge and Occupation: 24, Visual Communication DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Application EngineerEngagement Date: May 30, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Catholic church followed by a botanical conservatoryAbout Me: I'm an American designer who moved to Switzerland for love after a fairytale beginning at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love travel, photography, museums, learning German so I can speak with my mother-in-law, cooking (eating), cuddling, and I'm not afraid to try something new even if it terrifies me. My Swiss/Brazilian man and I are both down to earth people planning a traditional Catholic wedding in my hometown with some quirky cultural exceptions to reflect our different backgrounds. We look forward to celebrating with friends and family from all over the world in a classic, sophisticated fusion of heritage and love.
We would have preferred to get married at the Stadthaus, but it was closed for construction until the autumn, which was too late for us to be married and safely apply for a residence permit. Rats. Read more…
Ms. Gazelle, Calgary/VancouverAge and Occupation: 32, EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Technology AnalystEngagement Date: September 3, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Brock House Restaurant, VancouverAbout Me: I am a marathon runner, cyclist, Ironman triathlete and beautiful shoe fiend who also loves kicking back and watching Glee. I grew up a bit of a nomad as I traveled around the world with my family, living everywhere from Australia to England to South America and Indonesia. I finally settled in Calgary a few years ago and met Mr. Gazelle who loves me even though we cheer for different hockey teams. We are planning a bit of a destination wedding in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia and we can’t wait to share the day with our close family and friends.
First up, we decided not to do corsages for our moms. I was concerned about a pinned corsage since my mom planned to make a jacket out of very delicate fabric and my mom didn’t want to wear anything on her wrist.
